My cohorts and co-writers Betsy Bird of the Fuse #8 blog and Julie Danielson of Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, have been talking celebrity books this week.
Betsy asks Celebrity Children's Books: Good V. Bad - Who Will Win? while Jules begs for One Not-So-Impossible Favor Before Breakfast.
And now I've decided to join in on the fun.
Ask me what I think of children's books written by celebrities and, after I finish rolling my eyes and gnashing my teeth and foaming at the mouth -- and after you've finished wiping my spittle off your face -- I will tell you that I am not a fan.
Show me a good celebrity children's book and I'll show you one that was written by a ghostwriter.
But as little patience as I have for these "star authors" (not, you'll note, "starred authors"), I reserve most of my wrath for the editors and publishers who acquire these books and foist them on the public.
Surely these editors know better.
Surely they have higher professional aspirations.
Wouldn't it be better to leave this world knowing you were responsible for bringing the work of, for instance, Katherine Paterson, to millions of children, rather than a legacy of placing children's books by Dr. Laura, Dom DeLuise, and LeAnn Rimes in Big Lots stores all across the United States?
I've often wondered how editors treat their "star authors" compared to their "real authors." Are they starstruck? Deferential? (Does Queen Latifah's editor call her "Your Majesty?") Obviously they don't spend much time actually EDITING celebrity books. (If they did, the books would be better.)
I recently uncovered a curious (and completely spurious) series of editoral letters that may answer some of these questions.
Here are some excerpts:
Dear Crystal Alexander:
It isn’t every day that an editor returns from lunch and sees a message from an Emmy-nominated actress on his desk!
According to my secretary, you have an idea for a children’s picture book. I think I can safely say -- sight unseen -- that we’d be very interested in working with you! Please have your agent call me ASAP and we can have a deal by the end of the week.
Sincerely,
Rodney Needham
Senior Editor / Logan Books
Dear Helen Holbrook,
It isn’t every day that an editor returns from lunch and sees a manuscript from a Newbery Honor author on his desk.
According to your cover letter, this novel has great personal meaning to you. I will pass the manuscript along to our “first reader” and we’ll get back to you with our decision by the end of the summer.
Sincerely,
Rodney Needham
Senior Editor / Logan Books
Dear Crystal,
Here is your contract for ULYSSES M. GOLLYGOOFER AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SAYING “PRETTY PLEASE.” As negotiated with your talent agent, you will be receiving an advance of $100,000 against royalties....
Dear Helen,
I’m enclosing your contract for NIGHT BIRD SINGING. As negotiated with your literary agent, you will be receiving an advance for $10,000 against royalties....
Dear Helen,
I have been editing your manuscript all day today and want to tell you how beautifully written it is. The scene in which young Millie spends the night curled up beside her mother’s grave actually brought to tears to my eyes. I’m including a few editorial suggestions, which you may want to consider as you see fit....
Dear Crystal,
I have been editing your manuscript all day today and want to tell you how beautifully written it is. The rhyme that reads:
Ulysses was a bad boy who never ate his peas
He cussed and kicked and had a sassy mouth and he had a really bad attitude and stuff, plus he never ever ever said “Please.”
actually brought tears to my eyes. As GREAT as your manuscript is, I do think it needs a little help here and there and wondered how you’d feel if we brought in someone to tidy it up a bit. It might help to think of this person as a “script doctor” -- just like you have in Hollywood! -- who will assist you in polishing your story to absolute perfection....
Dear Helen,
The galleys of your novel went out today and I thought you’d be interested in seeing the press release we included:
Though Helen Holbrook has won many prizes during her writing career, including a Newbery Honor and a National Book Award nomination, nothing will prepare readers for her towering new effort, NIGHT BIRD SINGING, the story of a sensitive Appalachian girl coping with the death of her mother. “I based the story on my own experiences,” says the author, whose own mother died when Holbrook was only ten....
Dear Crystal,
The galleys of your picture book went out today, along with several novelty items including three-color buttons with the logo “Don't just say please...say PRETTY please!” and the official Ulysses M. Gollygoofer® plushie. I thought you’d be interested in seeing the press release we included:
Emmy-nominated actress Crystal Alexander makes a remarkable debut as a picture book author with ULYSSES M. GOLLYGOOFER AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SAYING “PRETTY PLEASE.” This delightful tale about the importance of good manners was inspired after Ms. Alexander gave birth to her son Sasha (whose father is Crystal’s former boyfriend, rock star Joe Haley) and her daughter Audrine (whose father, Mark Tyson, is the co-star of Crystal’s current hit sitcom.) “Having children of my own really opened my eyes,” revealed Crystal. “I realized there are no good books out there for kids today...so I decided to write one of my own!”
Dear Helen,
Time to do some publicity for NIGHT BIRD SINGING! Our Promotions Dept. has gotten you a booking on a TV show called “Booktalking with Sheila,” which runs Sunday afternoons on your local public access channel....
Dear Cryssie,
Ready for your book tour? Our Promotions Dept. has gotten you booked for two segments on THE VIEW next Monday, Rachael Ray on Tuesday (make sure to bring a recipe for the cooking segment), Fox News on Wednesday, and Larry King will give you a whole hour on Thursday if you’re willing to talk about your experiences at the Betty Ford Clinic as well....
Dear Helen,
Congrats on the magnificent reviews!
“Emotionally-compelling!” – School Library Journal, starred
review
“One of the year’s best!” – Booklist, starred review
“Heart-wrenchingly honest!” – Horn Book, starred review
“Every sentence is poetry!” -- Bulletin of the Center for
Children’s Books, starred review
Dear Cryssie,
Don’t worry about the reviews. Nobody cares about reviews. What we care about is sales and, honey, your sales are going through the roof! Your appearance on THE VIEW took you to the top of the Amazon.com charts for two days and we’ve sold 17 thou in the past week alone. As a point of comparison, let me tell you about this “literary” novel we just published. It got starred reviews from all the major review publications, yet sold only 119 copies last week....
Dear Helen,
A Newbery Honor for NIGHT BIRD SINGING! We’re over the moon about it! Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations....
Dear Cryssie,
Pixar bought the rights to Ulysses M. Gollygoofer!!! Congrats, congrats, congrats....
Dear Helen,
In twenty-plus years of publishing, I’ve never missed ALA before. I’m so sorry I won’t be there with you as your NIGHT BIRD is acknowledged as one of the year’s best, but I’ll be there in spirit....
Cryssie, sweetheart,
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d ever attend the Golden Globes. Thank you so much for the invite. I had to miss an important library convention to attend, but it was worth it. Heck, the gift bag alone was worth it! (Mine included a DVD player, a coupon for a free hotel stay at a resort in Cancun, plus a laptop computer! The gift bags at the library convention contain bookmarks and pencils engraved with the names of book distributors. Which do you think I’d rather have?) Anyway, it was nice to meet the producers of the upcoming Gollygoofer flick at the ‘Globes, plus I got to meet Angelina and Brad, both of whom said they have ideas for children’s books....
Dear Helen,
Just received manuscript for the NIGHT BIRD SINGING sequel. It looks marvelous. I’m going to read it on the red-eye out to the coast. (Taking a meeting with my friends at Pixar about an animated flick we’re doing based on one of our bestselling children’s books.) I do want to warn you, however, that in these tough economic times we don’t have a lot of money to throw around on advances -- regardless of your recent Newbery Honor....
Dear Cryssie,
Your idea about ULYSSES M. GOLLYGOOFER AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SAYING “PRETTY PLEASE WITH SUGAR ON TOP” sounds sequel-icious! And I think we can bump up your advance too. How does two hundred thou sound....
Dear Helen,
I know you’re unhappy that we can’t offer more for the NIGHT BIRD sequel, but I think I have a solution. I could add $5,000 more to your advance if you’d be willing to do a little uncredited ghostwriting for another title we just acquired, ULYSSES M. GOLLYGOOFER AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SAYING “PRETTY PLEASE WITH SUGAR ON TOP.” Let me know if you’re interested. I’ll be in LaLa Land working with Pixar this week, but you can text me or just send me a tweet. Luv ya babes.
Ciao,
Rod Needham
Senior Editor / Logan Books
Advising Producer / GOLLYGOOFERS : THE MOVIE! – a Pixar Production
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Sunday Brunch for April 25
Today’s Sunday Brunch looks forward to El dia de los libros...bids farewell to Caldecott-winning illustrator John Schoenherr...wonders whether a Wimpy Kid or a Lost Olympian will win a Children’s Choice Book Award (and wonders if it even matters)...and looks at the sticky problem of adulatory biographies whose subjects may no longer deserve our adulation.
JOHN SCHOENHERR
Sorry to hear about the recent passing of John Schoenherr, who made memorable contributions to both the field of science fiction and children’s books.
Legend has it that he decided to pursue an art career during a high school science class, realizing that he’d rather draw frogs than dissect them. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, he was one of the busiest illustrators working in the genre of science fiction, providing cover art for magazines such as ANALOG, as well dozens of paperback books.
He entered the world of children’s books with Sterling North’s classic animal story RASCAL:
My copy includes a “laid-in” autograph from the author (“We’d share our best crawdad with you. Signed RASCAL and Sterling”) and was also inscribed by Mr. Schoenherr on the the dedication page. Okay, my name isn’t “Elaine,” but I was still thrilled to have a book signed by this renowned artist:
John Schoenherr went on to illustrate a number of important children’s animal stories including Walt Morey’s GENTLE BEN, Allan W. Eckert’s Newbery Honor Book INCIDENT AT HAWK’S HILL, and Jean Craighead George’s Newbery winner JULIE OF THE WOLVES.
In 1988, he received the Caldecott Award for his haunting snowscapes in OWL MOON by Jane Yolen.
Though John Schoenherr died on April 8, he will continue to live on every time a young reader picks up one of the classic works he illustrated.
CHALLENGING THOUGHTS
Last weekend I posted a list of the ten most challenged children’s books of 2009. Blog reader Stephanie wrote in with a good point: "‘Challenged’ can refer to something as simple as being asked, ‘Don't you think this would be better shelved in YA?’ - which is a far cry from banning anything.”
That’s true, and that’s why the whole issue is so, well...challenging.
And then there’s another issue. A patron who would never think of asking a library to remove a contemporary title for its language, sex, or violence might feel differently about, for instance, a book from the 1950s that casts minorities in stereotypical roles. Or what about those old books that show boys they can be doctors, lawyers, and astronauts while girls are told they can be teachers, secretaries or mothers? Is challenging those books the same as challenging Lauren Myracle’s IM series for its language and sexual content?
And what about the controversy over a child’s right to read and a parent’s responsibilities? Should parents have the right to determine what their child is allowed to read? Or should kids have access to any book they want to/need to read, regardless of their parents’ wishes?
I’m glad these are problems I don’t have to face on my job. I'm in awe of those who work in school and public libraries and have to confront these difficult issues every day.
ICKY BIOGRAPHIES
Kids are always eager to read books about their favorite athletes and media idols -- and many small commercial presses fill this need by producing lightweight, flattering biographies of these famous names.
But what happens when these celebrities fall from grace?
To an extent, the books may still contain valid information in their summaries of an individual’s career triumphs on golf course or movie screen, but the fawning prose (which often emphasizes that individual’s honesty, morality, ethics) suddenly sours when the subject faces public scandals.
Have books such as the following become obsolete?
EYAFJALLAJOKULL
Last week I’d never heard of it.
A week later, I still can’t spell it.
But the eruption of Eyafjallajokull has certainly shown us that, in the greater scheme of things, we don’t have much control when Mother Nature blows her top.
I tried to see if there had ever been a children’s book about Eyafjallajokull, but the answer appears to be no. At least not yet. The closest I came in my library was a 1986 volume called RING OF FIRE AND THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS AND ICELAND by Alice Gilbreath, a children’s book that focuses on the general region of this volcanco.
If the recent eruption has awakened an interest in volcanoes among young readers, here a few more relevant titles:
THE FIRST BOOK OF VOLCANOES AND EARTHQUAKES by Rebecca B. Marcus.
HOW DID WE FIND OUT ABOUT VOLCANOES? by Isaac Asimov.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC READERS : VOLCANOES! by Anne Schreiber.
NATURE’S SQUIRT GUNS, BUBBLE PIPES, AND FIREWORKS: GEYSERS, HOT SPRINGS, AND VOLCANOES by Alice Gilbreath (yeah, her again.)
VOLCANOES by Jen Green.
VOLCANOES : NATURE’S FIREWORKS by Hershell H. Nixon and Joan Lowery Nixon.
VOLCANOES by Franklyn M. Branley and Megan Lloyd.
DEAR KATIE, THE VOLCANO IS A GIRL by Jean Craighead George.
KIDS WHO WALK ON VOLCANOS by Paul Otteson.
THE RETURN OF LITTLE MACHINERY
Somewhere there is a Little Machinery, a magic creature.
He grew up out of some pieces of a steam engine that was in a wreck, an old trolley car that couldn't run anymore, and a broken automobile.
This Little Machinery would rather work than anything in the world.
He does things by steam like the steam engine--
Or by electricity like the electric car whichever he chooses.
And he rides merrily along on a little automobile wheel that goes by gasoline.
Note: You can find his steam engine cylinder and steam whistle and his electric motor and the gas engine inside his footwheel and all the gearwheels that go around and make his arms and legs do things.
Thus begins LITTLE MACHINERY, a picture book written by Mary Liddell, edited by May Massee, and published by Doubleday in 1926.
The dustflap of the original volume trumpeted, "This is the first picture ever done for modern children and their world."
Reviewing the volume for her magazine, Horn Book editor Bertha Mahoney proclaimed, "The moon silver polish of genius has rubbed beauty and romance over engines, steam-drills, cranes and all kinds of machinery in a picture book for small children -- the most original book yet published -- called LITTLE MACHINERY."
Despite this high praise, I must admit I had never heard of the book until recently. Looking at LITTLE MACHINERY today, I can see how a tech-minded kid of the 1920s would be drawn to a volume that follows the (androgynous-looking) little nuts-and-bolts character as he builds birdhouses, blows glass to make dishes and sharpens his animal friends' nails and teeth with a grindstone (ouch.) By modern standards, the anthropomorphic protagonist seems a little weird and both the prose and illustrations are a bit too cute.
LITTLE MACHINERY did not become the kind of classic that Ms. Mahoney might have predicted. Very few libraries own it today. No copies of the original edition are currently for sale on the internet. ...This either means that there is no interest in the title...or that it’s a pretty rare volume and worth a lot of money. I haven’t figured that out yet.
For those interested in seeing this bit of history, a "critical facsimile edition" has recently been published in paperback by Wayne State University Press.
This new volume contains the original text and illustrations, as well as a foreword by John Stilgoe which discusses the book in terms of technology and industry. A lengthy appreciation by Nathalie op de Beck profiles the volume's creator and looks at the book within historical and literary context (I think lines such as "LITTLE MACHINERY inherently expresses practical considerations of modern life ands spins a fantasy about the fate of discarded products in the natural environment itself" are kinda excessive, as is "[Liddell] mimics some collectivist ideals of Russian collectivism in a text that caters to an American capitalist audience.")
Still, LITTLE MACHINERY provides a peek back at an earlier era in literature and may be of interest to collectors of historical children’s books.
YOU CAN’T VOTE FOR PRESIDENT TILL YOUR EIGHTEEN...BUT YOU CAN VOTE FOR THE CHILDREN’S CHOICE BOOK AWARDS
According to a press release I just received, kids still have time to vote for this year’s Children’s Choice Book Awards, with the winners being announced “May 11 in New York City as part of Children’s Book Week, the oldest national literacy event in the United States.”
Go to the Book Week website to cast a vote and see the nominees in a number of age-group categories.
Vying for “Author of the Year” are:
Suzanne Collins for CATCHING FIRE
Carl Hiaasen for SCAT
Jeff Kinney for DIARY OF A WIMPY KID : THE LAST STRAW and DOG DAYS
James Patterson for MAX
Rick Riordan for THE LAST OLYMPIAN
Nominees for “Artist of the Year” are:
Peter Brown for THE CURIOUS GARDEN
Robin Preiss Glasser for FANCY NANCY : EXPLORER EXTRAORDINAIRE!
Victoria Kahn for GOLDILICIOUS
Susan L. Roth for LISTEN TO THE WIND
David Soman for LADYBUG GIRL AND BUMBLEBEE BOY
Who will win?
Well, it probably doesn’t matter.
The authors, artists, and titles on the lists are already big bestsellers and huge favorites with kids.
In that context, they’ve already “won.”
Unlike the Newbery and Caldecott Awards, which reward “distinguished” contributions, the winners of the Children’s Choice Awards will merely be confirming their popularity among young readers. It’s also a transient honor. We’ll probably look back at the winning titles a few years from now and say, “Oh, I remember when everyone was reading that book! Nobody seems to pick it up these days, though.”
Still, anything that stirs up interest in kids’ books is good thing -- and I’m sure young people will enjoy having a say in the selection of the DIARY OF A WIMPY KID and FANCY NANCY...I mean, er, whatever titles do end up winning!
OKAY, YOU’VE HEARD OF CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK….
…but did you know about Children’s Book Day?
It’s coming at the end of this week.
This event was the brainchild of writer Pat Mora, who said:
When I learned that Mexico celebrates El dia del nino on April 30, I thought, “Oh, I like the idea of celebrating children, of having a kids’ day. Hooray! And let’s add books to the party. Let’s celebrate children and books every day of the year and then have an anniversary party on or about April 30.”
Since 1996, librarians, teachers, parents and people who want to share “bookjoy” have been planning book fiestas – events that link children to books, languages, and cultures. Celebrations are held at home, museums, community centers, bookstores, parks, schools, and libraries. Together we are growing a nation of readers.
Ms. Mora has even written a book about the event.
BOOK FIESTA! : CELEBRATE CHILDREN’S DAY/BOOK DAY / Celebremos El dia de los ninos/El dia de los libros is a bilingual picture book, illustrated by Rafael Lopez, which features kids reading books in cars and planes and reading elephants; with parents and pals and animal friends. It’s a nice introduction to an event which is growing in popularity every year.
Thanks for visiting Collecting Children’s Books, where we too also celebrate “bookjoy” all year long. Hope you’ll be back!
JOHN SCHOENHERR
Sorry to hear about the recent passing of John Schoenherr, who made memorable contributions to both the field of science fiction and children’s books.
Legend has it that he decided to pursue an art career during a high school science class, realizing that he’d rather draw frogs than dissect them. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, he was one of the busiest illustrators working in the genre of science fiction, providing cover art for magazines such as ANALOG, as well dozens of paperback books.
He entered the world of children’s books with Sterling North’s classic animal story RASCAL:
My copy includes a “laid-in” autograph from the author (“We’d share our best crawdad with you. Signed RASCAL and Sterling”) and was also inscribed by Mr. Schoenherr on the the dedication page. Okay, my name isn’t “Elaine,” but I was still thrilled to have a book signed by this renowned artist:
John Schoenherr went on to illustrate a number of important children’s animal stories including Walt Morey’s GENTLE BEN, Allan W. Eckert’s Newbery Honor Book INCIDENT AT HAWK’S HILL, and Jean Craighead George’s Newbery winner JULIE OF THE WOLVES.
In 1988, he received the Caldecott Award for his haunting snowscapes in OWL MOON by Jane Yolen.
Though John Schoenherr died on April 8, he will continue to live on every time a young reader picks up one of the classic works he illustrated.
CHALLENGING THOUGHTS
Last weekend I posted a list of the ten most challenged children’s books of 2009. Blog reader Stephanie wrote in with a good point: "‘Challenged’ can refer to something as simple as being asked, ‘Don't you think this would be better shelved in YA?’ - which is a far cry from banning anything.”
That’s true, and that’s why the whole issue is so, well...challenging.
And then there’s another issue. A patron who would never think of asking a library to remove a contemporary title for its language, sex, or violence might feel differently about, for instance, a book from the 1950s that casts minorities in stereotypical roles. Or what about those old books that show boys they can be doctors, lawyers, and astronauts while girls are told they can be teachers, secretaries or mothers? Is challenging those books the same as challenging Lauren Myracle’s IM series for its language and sexual content?
And what about the controversy over a child’s right to read and a parent’s responsibilities? Should parents have the right to determine what their child is allowed to read? Or should kids have access to any book they want to/need to read, regardless of their parents’ wishes?
I’m glad these are problems I don’t have to face on my job. I'm in awe of those who work in school and public libraries and have to confront these difficult issues every day.
ICKY BIOGRAPHIES
Kids are always eager to read books about their favorite athletes and media idols -- and many small commercial presses fill this need by producing lightweight, flattering biographies of these famous names.
But what happens when these celebrities fall from grace?
To an extent, the books may still contain valid information in their summaries of an individual’s career triumphs on golf course or movie screen, but the fawning prose (which often emphasizes that individual’s honesty, morality, ethics) suddenly sours when the subject faces public scandals.
Have books such as the following become obsolete?
EYAFJALLAJOKULL
Last week I’d never heard of it.
A week later, I still can’t spell it.
But the eruption of Eyafjallajokull has certainly shown us that, in the greater scheme of things, we don’t have much control when Mother Nature blows her top.
I tried to see if there had ever been a children’s book about Eyafjallajokull, but the answer appears to be no. At least not yet. The closest I came in my library was a 1986 volume called RING OF FIRE AND THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS AND ICELAND by Alice Gilbreath, a children’s book that focuses on the general region of this volcanco.
If the recent eruption has awakened an interest in volcanoes among young readers, here a few more relevant titles:
THE FIRST BOOK OF VOLCANOES AND EARTHQUAKES by Rebecca B. Marcus.
HOW DID WE FIND OUT ABOUT VOLCANOES? by Isaac Asimov.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC READERS : VOLCANOES! by Anne Schreiber.
NATURE’S SQUIRT GUNS, BUBBLE PIPES, AND FIREWORKS: GEYSERS, HOT SPRINGS, AND VOLCANOES by Alice Gilbreath (yeah, her again.)
VOLCANOES by Jen Green.
VOLCANOES : NATURE’S FIREWORKS by Hershell H. Nixon and Joan Lowery Nixon.
VOLCANOES by Franklyn M. Branley and Megan Lloyd.
DEAR KATIE, THE VOLCANO IS A GIRL by Jean Craighead George.
KIDS WHO WALK ON VOLCANOS by Paul Otteson.
THE RETURN OF LITTLE MACHINERY
Somewhere there is a Little Machinery, a magic creature.
He grew up out of some pieces of a steam engine that was in a wreck, an old trolley car that couldn't run anymore, and a broken automobile.
This Little Machinery would rather work than anything in the world.
He does things by steam like the steam engine--
Or by electricity like the electric car whichever he chooses.
And he rides merrily along on a little automobile wheel that goes by gasoline.
Note: You can find his steam engine cylinder and steam whistle and his electric motor and the gas engine inside his footwheel and all the gearwheels that go around and make his arms and legs do things.
Thus begins LITTLE MACHINERY, a picture book written by Mary Liddell, edited by May Massee, and published by Doubleday in 1926.
The dustflap of the original volume trumpeted, "This is the first picture ever done for modern children and their world."
Reviewing the volume for her magazine, Horn Book editor Bertha Mahoney proclaimed, "The moon silver polish of genius has rubbed beauty and romance over engines, steam-drills, cranes and all kinds of machinery in a picture book for small children -- the most original book yet published -- called LITTLE MACHINERY."
Despite this high praise, I must admit I had never heard of the book until recently. Looking at LITTLE MACHINERY today, I can see how a tech-minded kid of the 1920s would be drawn to a volume that follows the (androgynous-looking) little nuts-and-bolts character as he builds birdhouses, blows glass to make dishes and sharpens his animal friends' nails and teeth with a grindstone (ouch.) By modern standards, the anthropomorphic protagonist seems a little weird and both the prose and illustrations are a bit too cute.
LITTLE MACHINERY did not become the kind of classic that Ms. Mahoney might have predicted. Very few libraries own it today. No copies of the original edition are currently for sale on the internet. ...This either means that there is no interest in the title...or that it’s a pretty rare volume and worth a lot of money. I haven’t figured that out yet.
For those interested in seeing this bit of history, a "critical facsimile edition" has recently been published in paperback by Wayne State University Press.
This new volume contains the original text and illustrations, as well as a foreword by John Stilgoe which discusses the book in terms of technology and industry. A lengthy appreciation by Nathalie op de Beck profiles the volume's creator and looks at the book within historical and literary context (I think lines such as "LITTLE MACHINERY inherently expresses practical considerations of modern life ands spins a fantasy about the fate of discarded products in the natural environment itself" are kinda excessive, as is "[Liddell] mimics some collectivist ideals of Russian collectivism in a text that caters to an American capitalist audience.")
Still, LITTLE MACHINERY provides a peek back at an earlier era in literature and may be of interest to collectors of historical children’s books.
YOU CAN’T VOTE FOR PRESIDENT TILL YOUR EIGHTEEN...BUT YOU CAN VOTE FOR THE CHILDREN’S CHOICE BOOK AWARDS
According to a press release I just received, kids still have time to vote for this year’s Children’s Choice Book Awards, with the winners being announced “May 11 in New York City as part of Children’s Book Week, the oldest national literacy event in the United States.”
Go to the Book Week website to cast a vote and see the nominees in a number of age-group categories.
Vying for “Author of the Year” are:
Suzanne Collins for CATCHING FIRE
Carl Hiaasen for SCAT
Jeff Kinney for DIARY OF A WIMPY KID : THE LAST STRAW and DOG DAYS
James Patterson for MAX
Rick Riordan for THE LAST OLYMPIAN
Nominees for “Artist of the Year” are:
Peter Brown for THE CURIOUS GARDEN
Robin Preiss Glasser for FANCY NANCY : EXPLORER EXTRAORDINAIRE!
Victoria Kahn for GOLDILICIOUS
Susan L. Roth for LISTEN TO THE WIND
David Soman for LADYBUG GIRL AND BUMBLEBEE BOY
Who will win?
Well, it probably doesn’t matter.
The authors, artists, and titles on the lists are already big bestsellers and huge favorites with kids.
In that context, they’ve already “won.”
Unlike the Newbery and Caldecott Awards, which reward “distinguished” contributions, the winners of the Children’s Choice Awards will merely be confirming their popularity among young readers. It’s also a transient honor. We’ll probably look back at the winning titles a few years from now and say, “Oh, I remember when everyone was reading that book! Nobody seems to pick it up these days, though.”
Still, anything that stirs up interest in kids’ books is good thing -- and I’m sure young people will enjoy having a say in the selection of the DIARY OF A WIMPY KID and FANCY NANCY...I mean, er, whatever titles do end up winning!
OKAY, YOU’VE HEARD OF CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK….
…but did you know about Children’s Book Day?
It’s coming at the end of this week.
This event was the brainchild of writer Pat Mora, who said:
When I learned that Mexico celebrates El dia del nino on April 30, I thought, “Oh, I like the idea of celebrating children, of having a kids’ day. Hooray! And let’s add books to the party. Let’s celebrate children and books every day of the year and then have an anniversary party on or about April 30.”
Since 1996, librarians, teachers, parents and people who want to share “bookjoy” have been planning book fiestas – events that link children to books, languages, and cultures. Celebrations are held at home, museums, community centers, bookstores, parks, schools, and libraries. Together we are growing a nation of readers.
Ms. Mora has even written a book about the event.
BOOK FIESTA! : CELEBRATE CHILDREN’S DAY/BOOK DAY / Celebremos El dia de los ninos/El dia de los libros is a bilingual picture book, illustrated by Rafael Lopez, which features kids reading books in cars and planes and reading elephants; with parents and pals and animal friends. It’s a nice introduction to an event which is growing in popularity every year.
Thanks for visiting Collecting Children’s Books, where we too also celebrate “bookjoy” all year long. Hope you’ll be back!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Stars in My Eyes
A good friend recently gave me this book as a present:
LIGHTS ON BROADWAY : A THEATRICAL TOUR FROM A TO Z was written by picture-book stalwart Harriet Ziefert and illustrated by Elliot Kreloff. Tony-winning actor Brian Stokes Mitchell wrote the introduction.
I was especially thrilled to discover my copy was personally inscribed by both Brian Stokes Mitchell and Elliot Kreloff:
Pretty cool, huh?
This oversized ABC contains splashy color illustrations that capture the energy and excitement of the Great White Way, overlaid with text blocks that define show biz terms (“A is for Audition and Actor and Audience and Applause...B is for Broadway and Break a Leg! and Box Office....”) and offer quotes from Broadway legends (“I knew very young that I had a Broadway voice too. At 15 years, I knew I’d be on the Broadway stage. I knew I had a place on the Broadway stage” -- Patti Lupone.)
Though I love looking at this book, I also question its intended audience. Responding to a recent blog entry, "sdn" -- a noted children’s book editor -- said, “The best test, I find, is to ask oneself: ‘to whom would I give this book?’” In the case of LIGHTS ON BROADWAY, I'm not sure of the answer. Amazon.com lists it for ages 4-8, but I’ve got to wonder how many young kids -- outside of those who live in NYC and began seeing Broadway matinees while still in Pampers -- have any interest in the theater. How many have even heard of Brian Stokes Mitchell, much less Carol Channing, Harvey Fierstein, Billy Crudup or Arnie Burton. (Heck, even I’ve never heard of him!)
Would I have liked this book as a child? I doubt it.
But I think I would have grown to appreciate it as I got older and became fascinated with theater. Starting in my teens, I began attending as many local high school plays as I could; I became familiar with the canon of famous American musicals not be visiting Broadway, but by seeing shows like OKLAHOMA, CAROUSEL, BYE-BYE BIRDIE (more times than I can count), WEST SIDE STORY and others in stuffy high school auditoriums and gymnasiums. It never even crossed my mind that I could -- or ever would -- venture to New York and see a show on Broadway myself. It seemed like a foreign land to a midwestern kid like me. When I heard that a former student at our high school named Zora Rasmussen had actually moved to New York and become a professional actress, I looked her up in an old yearbook. I figured she must have been a very special person -- different from all the other students at our school -- to leave workaday Detroit and head for the lights of Broadway.
Then, a couple summers after graduating high school -- and through a series of strange circumstances and coincidences -- my brother and I had the opportunity to visit New York City for the first time. The night before we left, we took our parents to see a new movie playing at the local mall. A LITTLE ROMANCE was a cute love story which starred an aged Laurence Oliver (years after WUTHERING HEIGHTS and HAMLET) and a very young Diane Lane (years before LONESOME DOVE and UNFAITHFUL) -- but we all thought the movie was stolen by a young actress named Ashby Semple who, in the role of Diane's best friend, provided comic relief with her wide-eyed exclamations of shock at every twist in the plot.
The next day we boarded a flight for LaGuardia and -- from the moment the plane banked over the Statue of Liberty shining in the morning sun -- we began our own "little romance" with the city of New York. During the coming week we did all the touristy things by day -- the Empire State Building, Ellis Island, the World Trade Center -- and at night we saw our first Broadway shows: SWEENEY TODD, THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG, THE ELEPHANT MAN....
By the end of the week, New York no longer felt foreign and Broadway was no longer something I only dreamed about. It felt like a home away from home.
The following Sunday we arrived back home and our parents met us at the airline gate. After a week of bustling crowds, ear-splitting noise, and constant excitment, Detroit's airline terminal seemed nearly empty, deadly quiet, and strangely dull. Still, we were excited to tell our folks about all the sites we'd visited and the plays that we'd seen. We hauled out our Playbills to show them the autographs we'd gotten after the shows.
My mother said, "You can get autographs here in Detroit too, you know."
"From who?" I scoffed. "There's nobody famous around here."
My mother then reached in her pocket and handed us this piece of paper:
"Ash--? That little girl from A LITTLE ROMANCE? What?"
Turns out that, as my parents were waiting for our flight to arrive, they'd noticed a teenage girl and an elderly man walking through the empty terminal. They immediately recognized her as the young actress from the movie we'd all just seen. So they stopped and said, "Aren't you...?" and she was. She was here in Detroit visiting her grandfather -- the old man who was walking with her through the airport. My parents told her how much we enjoyed her performance and asked if she'd sign an autograph for my brother and me. How much do I love that autograph, torn from a lined spiral notebook? I especially like how she carefully crossed out her mistake as she wrote it out. It gives the autograph distinction and character. And I still think it was weird and funny and cool that, while my brother and I were chasing all over Broadway getting autographs from stars, my parent met an actress right in our backyard. "Anything can happen if you keep your eyes open," said our father.
That was thirty years ago last summer. Since then, New York may have lost its mystique for me (it no longer feels like a foreign land) but it sure hasn't lost its magic. For many years I held onto a demanding second job, just so I could afford to visit New York once or twice a year. I'd take the overnight train and stay for three nights (three nights = five Broadway plays) or sometimes even five nights (which equals EIGHT Broadway plays!)
New York still feels like my home away from home.
People have asked if I'd ever consider living there permanently.
No, not really.
I think the city might actually lose its magic if I lived there full-time.
For one thing, I could never afford it. If I lived there full-time, I'd spend my days working, just like I do here in Detroit. Evenings wouldn't be a whirlwind of eating out and walking through the brightly-lit streets and seeing Broadway plays. I'd spend my evenings as I do here -- washing clothes, reading, watching the Biggest Loser on TV, surfing the internet, dozing off in my chair.
What makes New York so special is that it remains a vacation from my regular workaday world -- something I only get to experience once in a while.
...Actually, it has been a while since I last visited New York. Which is one of the reasons I so appreciate that picture-book-that's-not-really-for-kids, LIGHTS ON BROADWAY. When I flip through the volume, I'm back in Times Square, surrounding by theaters and it's nearly curtain time.
And tucked in the pages of LIGHTS ON BROADWAY I keep our autograph from Ashby Semple as a reminder that there’s magic here in Detroit too, if you just keep your eyes open.
LIGHTS ON BROADWAY : A THEATRICAL TOUR FROM A TO Z was written by picture-book stalwart Harriet Ziefert and illustrated by Elliot Kreloff. Tony-winning actor Brian Stokes Mitchell wrote the introduction.
I was especially thrilled to discover my copy was personally inscribed by both Brian Stokes Mitchell and Elliot Kreloff:
Pretty cool, huh?
This oversized ABC contains splashy color illustrations that capture the energy and excitement of the Great White Way, overlaid with text blocks that define show biz terms (“A is for Audition and Actor and Audience and Applause...B is for Broadway and Break a Leg! and Box Office....”) and offer quotes from Broadway legends (“I knew very young that I had a Broadway voice too. At 15 years, I knew I’d be on the Broadway stage. I knew I had a place on the Broadway stage” -- Patti Lupone.)
Though I love looking at this book, I also question its intended audience. Responding to a recent blog entry, "sdn" -- a noted children’s book editor -- said, “The best test, I find, is to ask oneself: ‘to whom would I give this book?’” In the case of LIGHTS ON BROADWAY, I'm not sure of the answer. Amazon.com lists it for ages 4-8, but I’ve got to wonder how many young kids -- outside of those who live in NYC and began seeing Broadway matinees while still in Pampers -- have any interest in the theater. How many have even heard of Brian Stokes Mitchell, much less Carol Channing, Harvey Fierstein, Billy Crudup or Arnie Burton. (Heck, even I’ve never heard of him!)
Would I have liked this book as a child? I doubt it.
But I think I would have grown to appreciate it as I got older and became fascinated with theater. Starting in my teens, I began attending as many local high school plays as I could; I became familiar with the canon of famous American musicals not be visiting Broadway, but by seeing shows like OKLAHOMA, CAROUSEL, BYE-BYE BIRDIE (more times than I can count), WEST SIDE STORY and others in stuffy high school auditoriums and gymnasiums. It never even crossed my mind that I could -- or ever would -- venture to New York and see a show on Broadway myself. It seemed like a foreign land to a midwestern kid like me. When I heard that a former student at our high school named Zora Rasmussen had actually moved to New York and become a professional actress, I looked her up in an old yearbook. I figured she must have been a very special person -- different from all the other students at our school -- to leave workaday Detroit and head for the lights of Broadway.
Then, a couple summers after graduating high school -- and through a series of strange circumstances and coincidences -- my brother and I had the opportunity to visit New York City for the first time. The night before we left, we took our parents to see a new movie playing at the local mall. A LITTLE ROMANCE was a cute love story which starred an aged Laurence Oliver (years after WUTHERING HEIGHTS and HAMLET) and a very young Diane Lane (years before LONESOME DOVE and UNFAITHFUL) -- but we all thought the movie was stolen by a young actress named Ashby Semple who, in the role of Diane's best friend, provided comic relief with her wide-eyed exclamations of shock at every twist in the plot.
The next day we boarded a flight for LaGuardia and -- from the moment the plane banked over the Statue of Liberty shining in the morning sun -- we began our own "little romance" with the city of New York. During the coming week we did all the touristy things by day -- the Empire State Building, Ellis Island, the World Trade Center -- and at night we saw our first Broadway shows: SWEENEY TODD, THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG, THE ELEPHANT MAN....
By the end of the week, New York no longer felt foreign and Broadway was no longer something I only dreamed about. It felt like a home away from home.
The following Sunday we arrived back home and our parents met us at the airline gate. After a week of bustling crowds, ear-splitting noise, and constant excitment, Detroit's airline terminal seemed nearly empty, deadly quiet, and strangely dull. Still, we were excited to tell our folks about all the sites we'd visited and the plays that we'd seen. We hauled out our Playbills to show them the autographs we'd gotten after the shows.
My mother said, "You can get autographs here in Detroit too, you know."
"From who?" I scoffed. "There's nobody famous around here."
My mother then reached in her pocket and handed us this piece of paper:
"Ash--? That little girl from A LITTLE ROMANCE? What?"
Turns out that, as my parents were waiting for our flight to arrive, they'd noticed a teenage girl and an elderly man walking through the empty terminal. They immediately recognized her as the young actress from the movie we'd all just seen. So they stopped and said, "Aren't you...?" and she was. She was here in Detroit visiting her grandfather -- the old man who was walking with her through the airport. My parents told her how much we enjoyed her performance and asked if she'd sign an autograph for my brother and me. How much do I love that autograph, torn from a lined spiral notebook? I especially like how she carefully crossed out her mistake as she wrote it out. It gives the autograph distinction and character. And I still think it was weird and funny and cool that, while my brother and I were chasing all over Broadway getting autographs from stars, my parent met an actress right in our backyard. "Anything can happen if you keep your eyes open," said our father.
That was thirty years ago last summer. Since then, New York may have lost its mystique for me (it no longer feels like a foreign land) but it sure hasn't lost its magic. For many years I held onto a demanding second job, just so I could afford to visit New York once or twice a year. I'd take the overnight train and stay for three nights (three nights = five Broadway plays) or sometimes even five nights (which equals EIGHT Broadway plays!)
New York still feels like my home away from home.
People have asked if I'd ever consider living there permanently.
No, not really.
I think the city might actually lose its magic if I lived there full-time.
For one thing, I could never afford it. If I lived there full-time, I'd spend my days working, just like I do here in Detroit. Evenings wouldn't be a whirlwind of eating out and walking through the brightly-lit streets and seeing Broadway plays. I'd spend my evenings as I do here -- washing clothes, reading, watching the Biggest Loser on TV, surfing the internet, dozing off in my chair.
What makes New York so special is that it remains a vacation from my regular workaday world -- something I only get to experience once in a while.
...Actually, it has been a while since I last visited New York. Which is one of the reasons I so appreciate that picture-book-that's-not-really-for-kids, LIGHTS ON BROADWAY. When I flip through the volume, I'm back in Times Square, surrounding by theaters and it's nearly curtain time.
And tucked in the pages of LIGHTS ON BROADWAY I keep our autograph from Ashby Semple as a reminder that there’s magic here in Detroit too, if you just keep your eyes open.
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